Piper PA 46-350P N462HP

Summary

On 23 September 2025 at about 16:08 local time, a Piper PA 46-350P registered N462HP was involved in an accident near Lake Havasu City, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 September 2025 at 16:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Havasu City, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Havasu City (HII)

Coordinates

34.5711, -114.3583

Aircraft

Piper PA 46-350P

Registration

N462HP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Prescott → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA293

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing due to distraction and failure to conduct the before landing checklist.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, he deviated from his normal procedure of applying 10° flaps and extending the landing gear mid field in order to expedite his landing due to additional traffic approaching the airport. He added that while on base leg, he moved a personal electronic device (PED) from his lap to the dash. While on an approximate 1mile final for the runway, as he reached for the landing gear handle, the airplane encountered an “air pocket bump,” and the PED fell and struck his hand. He stated that in his mind, he thought he had extended the landing gear and flaps, however, he did not verify that the three green landing gear indicator lights were illuminated. Subsequently, the airplane landed gear-up, and slid off the right side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.